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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27690431">Ink</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewwu/pseuds/jewwu'>jewwu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Bars and Pubs, Drinking, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, My First AO3 Post, OR IS IT, Other, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, i dont (cant) write smut i imply it, in this house we believe in making ur own soulmate, its like 2 am i refuse to edit this, not me tagging this like a tumblr post, one bar to be exact, only implied, that sounded weird i promise its way more sweet, wish me luck fellas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:22:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,886</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27690431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewwu/pseuds/jewwu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You slowly start to write on their arm. Its wobbly, you’re too tipsy to care, you carefully keep writing.<br/>You do the last loop before letting their arm go. You would’ve noticed if you weren’t so drunk that they were barely breathing as they stared down at their arm.<br/>"There!"<br/>You’d written your name. Like a soulmark.<br/>-----<br/>In a world where people carry their soulmates' names on their arms you are one of the Unmarked. You don't have a soulmate. You're not supposed to have one.<br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ink</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>incase any of you clowns dont read tags this is unedited and unformatted and generally a mess. i literally wrote it on the notes app<br/>enjoy.<br/>also this isnt written for any certain character or ship or anything youre free to imagine it however youd like,, which is kinda the point</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In a world where people carry their soulmates' names on their arms you are Unmarked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You don't have a soulmate, an outcast, destined to be forever alone. People look at you with pity in their eyes as you hear them whispering <em>"</em></span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">oh poor child" "how sad" "soulless" "empty"</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You're tired of it so one day you start writing names on your arm. Names heard in bars, streets, shops sometimes made up ones. It gives a wrong sense of belonging even if temporarily.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You watch as the ink washes away every day as you arm is left empty once again and you dream of another life where you could’ve had it all. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sometimes it doesn’t hurt as bad. When hearing the news about failed couples, ruined lives or relationships because of soulmate bonds, you think its nice to not be bound to someone, be free.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sometimes its horrible. You long for your other half, the love of your life, the one who is supposed to complete you and make you a better person. You look at happy couple with jealousy and hatred. Wanting what they have.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hating that you cant.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Because thats who you are. You don’t have a "better half" you’re alone in this goddamned world and it hurts but you have to accept it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You keep faking marks.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In bars, to get one night stands; in shops to enjoy a couple of dates before the truth is out. You feel a little bad for lying to people but hey at least one day they can find The One.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One night after another failed attempt you go into the bathrooms to find someone there washing their arm.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You watch as the smudged ink slowly drips down the sink and washes away with water and soon theres only a subtle smudge, one that wont go away, one that tells this isn’t the first time.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They look at you as they lock eyes and you see the horror on their face,</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You slowly move to the sink next to them and start washing your own "mark" as you watch their expression change to one of empathy and pain as they let out an amused huff.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"look at us two hopeless cases washing yet another fake mark off their arms for god knows whichever time"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You snort. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You both get out.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"So.."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"So?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Are you going to-"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Nah, I've tried enough for tonight sometimes it just doesn’t work out"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Yeah.."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hmm..I'm going to try once more I think"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They raise a brow.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You carefully draw out a soulmark. Its second nature by now, the pen easily twirls around in beautiful calligraphy of another name. You wait for it to dry for a few seconds as the person catches your eye.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Well, wish me luck"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They tip their glass.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You slump down on a stool.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"So how was it?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They’re still here apparently.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"What do you think?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hmm, pity, they looked rather fit"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Its your fault"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"My fault?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Your bad luck. Its contagious"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You felt your lips twitch as they let out a startled laugh.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Is there a way I can pay you back for my "contagious bad luck"?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its mostly a blur after that. Stumbling in an Uber, getting off at your apartment, A mess of clothes...</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next morning when you wake up they’re gone you didn’t expect anything less of course </span>
  <span class="s3">you kept telling yourself</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">About a week later you return to that bar. You don’t know why. Maybe its that you have been entirely unsuccessful this week. </span>
  <strike>
    <span class="s3">Maybe you think that you’ll see </span>
    <em>
      <span class="s4">them</span>
    </em>
    <span class="s3"> again. </span>
  </strike>
  <span class="s1">You try once, twice, thrice... You slump in a stool the same way you did last week.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Seems like my bad luck still hasn’t lost its effect"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You aren’t in as bad as a mood as you were suddenly</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"What can i say it has a certain charm."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its a repeat of last week.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once again you wake up alone. Messy bed sheets and clothes all over the place. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You make yourself a coffee.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You don’t wait a week to go back this time. You're back in two days. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This time they slump next to you in the booth and put their face in their hands.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"'M starting to think maybe you cursed me too." You hear them say.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You laugh.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Well good to know its mutual"</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They raise their face and give you a weird look. Not repulsed or sad or angry or anything. Just weird. Like theyre trying to understand why and what you said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You don’t know either.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You don’t have to.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It happens again just like two days ago, just like last week. But this time its different. Between rushed steps and fumbling hands you hear them breathe a word against your skin.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It tickles.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"what-"you slightly tilt your head"-was that?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They look at you in the eyes with the same expression from the bar. When you’d said that stupid thing. But more intense.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You realize they said their name. You also realize you haven’t known their name this whole time. It hadn’t mattered as much.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You’re stunned for a few seconds, you don’t know what to do. Then, you say your name too. Barely above a whisper.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They say it a few times like they’re testing out what it sounds like on their mouth.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You decide you don’t hate it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Next morning is feels the same. Except it doesn’t. Because now you know their name. Because now you have a feeling its starting to mean something and it </span>
  <span class="s2">cant. <em>Because you aren’t supposed to have this and neither are they this is wron-</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You decide not to think too much about it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You don’t think about where you’re going that night. You already know.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They’re there of course sitting in a booth you slide next to them.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hey"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hey" </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You realize you’ve never had a proper conversation with them.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"So.. how was um..your day..?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They start laughing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You're mildly offended.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Oh wait. You’re serious"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You give a blank look. They look awkward.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They seem to consider it for a second. Answer it or just get on with what they’re both here for.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Surprisingly, they answer you.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It starts awkward at first, telling someone you’ve fucked two (and a half) times without even knowing their name about your day suddenly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Though it sure doesn’t stay that way.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The conversation turns more relaxed as you find things to talk about together. Little things really. Its actually quite petty too. You don’t really care.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its nice.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few hours pass as it gets slower as both of you get drunker and drunker. And as a comfortable silence settles over you make the move. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Same thing again. Uber. Apartment. Clothes. Bed. Pass out. Wake up in an empty bed and a mess of a house.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But you’re weirdly content.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You don’t go that day. You have work after all. You’ve got bills to</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">pay. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strike>
    <span class="s3">You miss them you think.</span>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next day you leave for the bar again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They’re there. The exact same booth from two days ago. They look rather bored.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You sit down next to them as they look at you a little bit startled.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hey"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hi"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its silent for a moment. It isn’t awkward...just...tense.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You hear something from your side, something you’d’ve missed if the music was a tad bit louder.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"So how was your day yesterday?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You feel your breath hitch. Its not said out loud, if anything its quite subtle. You can read along the lines. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">You weren’t here yesterday, why?</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You answer casually. You tell them the truth, how you had too much work and were drained out by the evening and didn’t have the energy to even walk. </span>
  <strike>
    <span class="s3">You think about telling them you kind of missed them. You discard the idea quickly. Its pretty stupid anyway.</span>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You talk.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its easier this time. There isn’t any awkward pauses of quick topic changes desperate to keep it flowing. It comes more naturally.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You talk even more then the previous night.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And in the end when you’ve ended up back in your apartment; tired, naked, satisfied.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You pass out.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Neither of you seem to think that you didn’t even try with the fake marks today.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">It turns into a routine. Walk into the bar, find the other, </span><strike><span class="s3">pretend you tried to find someone,</span></strike> <span class="s1">take a drink, talk for hours, end up in one of their places and leave before morning.</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its steady, its beneficial for you both. Its also the most stable thing weird-friends-with-benefits relationship you had.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It starts to change.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">First time is when once again you’re in the bar talking, having laughs over drinks and too drunk to realize what you’re doing you just spit it out.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"OH! I have an idea</span>
  <span class="s5">💡</span>
  <span class="s1">!!!"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"huh-? ooooh what is it????"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You grab your ink pen from your pocket its a habit carrying it around all the time </span>
  <span class="s3"><strike>even though you haven’t used it since that night.</strike> </span>
  <span class="s1">You uncap it and grab their arm as they give you a look of unmasked shock.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Drunk you is clueless.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Look-" You try to focus as your head spins a bit "-look you just gotta-you just gotta trust me okay?" </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They still looked shocked- and scared?- but they nod.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You slowly start to write on their arm. Its wobbly, you’re too tipsy to care, you carefully keep writing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You do the last loop before letting their arm go. You would’ve noticed if you weren’t so drunk that they were barely breathing as they stared down at their arm.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"There!"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You’d written your name. Like a soulmark.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I thought that since we don’t have anyone these days- your bad luck mind you- we could be each others-" you do air quotes"-"soulmates""</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Whaddaya think?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They look at you with </span>
  <span class="s2">that</span>
  <span class="s1"> expression again. Like they’re trying you understand you and pick you apart to know what you’re saying but they cant (there </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">isn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">anything to pick apart). And something else. Something you cant exactly name but something you see more of every time. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Finally they let out a breath. Its like a faint laugh. A sad one but at the same time a happy one.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They look at you in the eyes and say</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Well we wont be-" air quotes "-"soulmates" if you don’t have a mark will we?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You feel yourself smile.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That night when you are in their apartment again its different. You still both have the marks. Neither do an effort to wash it off.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next day when you’re back home you look at the smudged ink of a name from last night.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You try not to think about it </span>
  <strike>
    <span class="s3">as you trace it with your fingers over and over.</span>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You keep doing it. Your’e aware-</span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">they’re aware</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">- that this probably isn’t good because each day passes and with every renewed soulmark- always the same </span>
  <span class="s2"><em>always them</em>- </span>
  <span class="s1">you get more attached, you’re aware this long passedone night thing but </span>
  <span class="s2">this</span>
  <span class="s1">, is getting out of hand.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Yet here you are tracing the faint outline to the last mark with your pen again.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They keep it too.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Every time you go to the bar (which is every two to three days even a few days in row sometimes) they have the mark neatly oh their arm. Like it never washed off. </span>
  <strike>
    <span class="s3">Like it was rea-</span>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong><span class="s6">You</span> <span class="s6">don’t think about that</span><span class="s1">.</span></strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s6">You wont.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s6">You shouldn’t.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s6">You cant.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s6">You </span>
    <em>
      <span class="s7">mustn't.</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Next time somehow feels worse.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its the new routine. Meet up. </span>
  <strike>
    <span class="s3">They don’t pretend to look for someone else anymore</span>
  </strike>
  <span class="s1"><strike>.</strike> Drinks. Talk. Laughs. Marks. Uber. Sex.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Though that time you wake up in the morning you see something while changing the sheets. A piece of paper.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You turn it over and hear yourself gasp.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">[5xx-xxxxxx -------- (something had been scribbled out) call me?]</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This is what you’ve been so scared of what you’ve been trying to avoid what was wrong and dangerous and he should really put an end-</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You call later that day.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Its the best phone call you’ve ever had.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You start calling each other during daytime. Meet-ups are still exclusively to nighttime in The Bar.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Or well.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They were.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You’re in the bar that night again. Its been 5 days the work has been weighing you down. They don’t mind they’re busy too.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You talk about work sometimes, they mostly complain about their co-workers.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You talk about how the day was and what you did and more subtly complain about your co-workers.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Of course its not like they hadn’t talked over phone when they couldn’t meet up. They did.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Everyday actually.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Multiple times.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strike>
    <em>
      <span class="s3">But you’d get a soulmark before you actually admitted to how much you actually talked and how much you </span>
      <span class="s8">enjoyed it</span>
    </em>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It happened quite suddenly really. One second they were talking about work and being too drained till night and the next</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Maybe we can see each other in daytime too"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You blinked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Huh" </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"How very articulate of you"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You blinked again. They sighed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Im saying </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1"> we can try arranging something for daytime instead of just meeting up here not even sure if we are going to see each other"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You blinked again and noticed the faint blush on their cheeks almost unnoticeable under the dim lights as your brain finally caught up with it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strike>
    <span class="s2">A date</span>
    <span class="s1">.</span>
  </strike>
  <span class="s1"> <em>Not</em> a date.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An actual fully planned <strike>date</strike><em> meet up </em>in daytime and in public. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Together.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You must’ve gaped for too long as a they scowled and snapped</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"If you hate the idea that much-"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"OF COURSE" You blurted out.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They looked even more offended this time. Even a bit hurt.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You felt something ache in your chest as you cleared your throat.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I- I meant asin the plan. Of course. of course it’d be nice to grace you with my presence in daytime too." </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Smooth.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They smirked as They blushed even darker. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You thought you liked that look on them.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strike>
    <em>
      <span class="s8">Oh you were so screwed.</span>
    </em>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You were panicking.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There were 27 minutes exact to your date and you were panicking.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You decided to meet up in a cafe fair distance to both of your houses.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cute place, good for a date- NOT DATE A MEETUP.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">yes just a regular meet up only difference was that the sun was in the sky and the location was different.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was just like all the other days.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strike>
    <span class="s3">You kept telling yourself.</span>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You went inside (2 mins early whew) and sat down they weren’t here yet obviously. you waited as you absently touched at where the "soulmark" would be from over your coat.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">About 10 mins passed when someone flopped down in the chair in front of you</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They were here looking disheveled and panting. They looked quite out of breath.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Sorry-" pant "-im-" exhale" -late ohgodimreallysorryijustgotcaughtupinworkand-" a wheeze</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"woah woah its okay wouldn’t want you to choke to death in front of me calm down"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">cough-" "In front of me"?" They said in an incredulous tone but the tilt of their lips showed they were joking</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Mm yeah you can choke to death somewhere else just don’t block the view"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I am the view"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Oh how lovely of a view you are wheezing like a cat throwing up fur balls"</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It went smoothly after that. They were familiar after all. Friends. </span>
  <strike>
    <span class="s3">More</span>
    <span class="s1">. </span>
  </strike>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After they were done in the cafe they walked down the street arms locked and made fun of happy perfect soulmate couples on the street</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Ooh what about them"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hmmm probably learned about in their early 30s, suburban, they haveeeee-"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"3?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Yup 3 kids"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Bet they all go to private schools"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Oh definitely"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Also painfully straight" </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Don’t even mention it my god"</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You kept going on dates, meeting up in the bar, fucking, calling each other.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sometimes one of you would even stay in the mornings help clean up the house a bit.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nothing more though just good mornings, a little help and leave. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Neither expected more. That would be too much.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was easy to get used to. Having someone. Just being with them without any expectations or love bonds or anything.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Just being together.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You didn’t use the pen for anything other than renewing </span>
  <em><span class="s2">your</span> <span class="s2">mark</span></em>
  <span class="s1"> anymore.If anyone asked you to trace it from memory youd be able to do it with your eyes closed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But you felt the pain every time you took a shower as you watched the ink drip down your arm and washed away leaving the faint silhouette of something too good to be true.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You redrew the mark every time. Wondered how long you could keep up lying to yourself.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And four months into the start of their lates day meet ups and about a year since they first met you woke up as the sunlight washed over you and turned to your side.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They were still sleeping of course always sleeping like a log.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">You traced their features with your fingers memorizing every single detail while trying to pinpoint the exact moment you- the empty soul, the unmarked, the loveless and the unlovable- fell in love with someone who was supposed to be as empty as you.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That morning you went into shower washed and rinsed you hair as you let the water wash over you.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When you looked down at your arm you noticed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The ink wasn’t dripping anymore.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading my ✨first (and probably last)✨ work on ao3 anyways now ill dissapear to never come back again. peace.</p><p>if i made you think of any people/characters while reading this itd be amazing if you commented it i wanna know what my 2 am ramblings sounded like</p></blockquote></div></div>
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